TOKYO: Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas, the World No. 100, won her first WTA Tour title by defeating Japan's Miyu Kato 6-2, 7-5 in the Japan Open final.
The 23-year-old on Sunday needed 77 minutes to win the battle of qualifiers in the tournament's championship match, reports Efe.
Diyas advanced to the final with a 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 win over American defending champion Christina McHale in the semifinals on Saturday.
Diyas had reached the Japan Open final in 2014 but she lost to Australia's Samantha Stosur.